


Never (Quite) Alone

by SherlockianSyndromes



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, First Kiss, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21912322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SherlockianSyndromes/pseuds/SherlockianSyndromes
Summary: This is what happens when you have a crush on somebody and drink too much eggnog at the office Christmas party. Featuring flasks of brandy, the Muppets, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Relationships: Evan Lorne/Rodney McKay
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	Never (Quite) Alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Brumeier](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/gifts).



Evan stood in front of a table laden with refreshments and took a deep breath; he held it in for a few beats before slowly exhaling. He blinked a few times as his brain rebooted and then went through the motions of filling a paper cup with eggnog. He looked out the window at the bright lights of the Tokyo skyline and took a sip.

Somebody had definitely spiked the eggnog. He could taste the brandy and felt the slight burn of it as it went down his throat. Evan turned around and glanced at the scene before him - scientists speaking loudly and gesturing gregariously with their hands, along with a few others who were getting a little more friendly in the darker corners of the room.

Suddenly it all made more sense. Evan poured himself another cup, because why not? He deserved to get loose at the company Christmas party too.

Working in Japan had been an invigorating opportunity for Evan after graduating from college. Geophysics was a bit of a niche science, but since so many nuclear sites in Japan had been shut down in recent years, the country had started looking at geothermal energy as a major source of power. At this company in Tokyo, they were studying the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc and what power could be derived from the nearby convergence of tectonic plates. Sure, there were plenty of tourist traps with hot springs scattered across Japan that Evan could study, but working on this project definitely had its perks.

For one, Evan lived in Tokyo, one of the most amazing cities on the planet. He enjoyed his small and simple apartment, which was close to any and every amenity he could ever want or need. He’d made plenty of friends at the company too, both scientists and people on the more logistical side of the project.

And then there was Rodney McKay. Evan hadn’t quite decided yet if Rodney was actually a perk or if he’d become a curse.

Evan walked back over to the co-workers he’d been chatting with earlier in the evening. Miko smiled at him and nodded at his choice of beverage.

“I see you’ve discovered the eggnog.”

“Yeah,” Evan chuckled. “It seems a bit on the...strong side.”

His other co-worker, Radek, pulled out a flask from inside his coat pocket. He shook it gently with a devilish grin on his face.

“You’re welcome. God knows it’s the only way some of these people are ever going to have any fun -”

Miko scowled. “Zelenka, give them more credit. We're not _that_ boring.”

Radek shook his head. “No, I won’t. We’re a bland bunch, and everyone knows it. Not much fun to be had in the study of geothermal energy. So we add a little spice to the sugar...and voilà.”

Radek gestured around the room. Evan and Miko nodded their heads in agreement just as someone burst into raucous laughter on the other side of the room.

Evan cleared his throat, trying to act casual. “Has anyone seen McKay around?”

Miko’s brow furrowed and she shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen him since we came up from the lab.”

Radek took a pull from his flask before putting it back in his coat pocket. “He’s probably still down there. That man wouldn’t know how to have fun if he tried.”

“But it’s Christmas!” Evan protested. “Everybody deserves a break, including him.”

Radek shrugged. “Try telling him that. Honestly, he probably thinks being down in the lab alone staring at his laptop is the real break. Have you seen him talk to people? I only put up with him because he’s sort of an actual genius. He has his useful moments.”

Miko nodded. “He is a bit of a pain to deal with sometimes.”

A hollow feeling was growing in the pit of Evan’s stomach. He knew Rodney didn’t have a great reputation around the company, but even so - nobody deserved to be alone during Christmas.

He drained the remaining eggnog in his cup. “I’ll see you both a bit later. I’m going to take a walk.”

Radek raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Merry Christmas to you, Lorne.”

“You too!” Evan said, perhaps too enthusiastically. He abandoned Radek and Miko and went back to the refreshments table, grabbing a plate and piling on as many snacks and treats that would fit. Evan looked over his shoulder, then quickly poured himself another cup of eggnog and chugged it.

Mixing dairy and alcohol was not the best idea, but Evan needed as much liquid courage as he could get.

With the plate of food in hand, Evan made his way out of the decorated conference room and over to the elevator. Outside in the hall, it was dark and quiet; no one would know there was a party going on inside unless they looked for the one bright, glowing spot in the building. The elevator dinged, bringing Evan out of his thoughts and face to face with his last chance to ditch out on his plan.

Evan walked onto the elevator, scanned his badge, and pressed the button for the laboratory floor. The elevator began moving downward, and the further down he went, the more Evan felt the butterflies fluttering around in his stomach.

The thing about Rodney was that even though he was short-tempered, demanding, and full of himself (and that was on a good day), he was also enthusiastic, loyal, and incredibly intelligent. Evan didn’t spend as much time in the lab as other people, since he also did some logistical work for the company, but whenever he interacted with Rodney, he noticed all the little things - like the way Rodney’s blue eyes lit up when he’d finally solved a problem, or how his smile was always a little crooked, or that he took his coffee black with two sugars.

There was a lot more to Rodney than most people saw. No one bothered to look beyond the surface. But Evan had, or he had tried to, and now he had feelings for the man and didn’t know what to do about them.

Or maybe he did, because the elevator reached the right floor and Evan forced himself to walk off of the elevator and over to the main entrance of the lab.

Miko and Radek were right - Rodney was still in the lab, staring at two different laptops in the dark. One laptop showed energy readings that were being sent from beneath the ocean along the Izu-Bonin-Mariana Arc, and the other was a YouTube video of what looked like...The Muppet Christmas Carol?

Evan scanned his badge and the laboratory door swished open. The overhead lights detected the motion and flickered on, and Rodney glanced over his shoulder with an annoyed look on his face. The annoyance seemed to fade slightly when he saw it was Evan - or maybe that was just Evan’s imagination.

“What are you doing down here, Lorne?”

Evan walked over to Rodney’s workstation. “I could ask you the same thing. I noticed you weren’t upstairs at the party, so -”

“Work doesn’t stop just because it’s a holiday,” Rodney interrupted.

“Okay, _Ebenezer_ ,” Evan commented, gesturing toward the laptop that was most definitely playing The Muppet Christmas Carol.

“Touché,” Rodney replied quietly. He tried to go back to monitoring changes in temperature, but Evan slid the plate of food towards him.

“Come on. Just a little break. I even brought you some snacks.”

Rodney raised an eyebrow. “Nothing with citrus, I hope?”

“Nope, I avoided the lemon cake at all costs.”

“Good. Pull up a chair. We can finish watching the Muppets.”

Rodney turned up the sound on the movie, and Evan felt his heart bounce around wildly in his chest. Rodney hadn’t immediately dismissed him, had even invited him to stay.

Not that Evan was reading into it or anything. Rodney probably just wanted some company.

Rodney picked at the food on the plate as they watched the rest of the movie, every once in a while nudging it over towards Evan to see if he wanted to share. Evan spent more time watching Rodney instead of the movie. He watched Rodney’s face light up with laughter, noticed the way his eyes got watery during the one emotional love song, and saw the warmth in his smile as the movie concluded.

Rodney stretched in his chair and groaned. He looked over at Evan, eyes seemingly full of questions. Evan knew he was being scrutinized and he felt his face flush, so he chose to stare at the empty paper plate on Rodney’s desk in an attempt to act like he was okay.

“Thanks, Lorne,” Rodney said finally. “I really...that was really nice. I needed that.” Rodney smiled his crooked smile, and Evan’s heart tried to leap out of his chest.

“You’re welcome. Nobody should be alone on Christmas. Well, Christmas Eve.” The words came out of Evan’s mouth in a rush and he wondered if Rodney would feel offended.

Instead, Rodney didn’t say anything at all. He just kept staring at Evan, and Evan began to panic.

“So, um, anyway. It’s kind of late. I should probably head home.” Evan stood up, awkwardly brushing his pants off with his hands even though there were no crumbs on them.

Rodney blinked as if he was coming out of a daydream, then nodded. “Right. Yeah.”

Evan took the empty paper plate and threw it in the trash and put his chair back from where he’d taken it. He looked back at Rodney and saw that Rodney was again monitoring the stream of data they were always receiving from under the sea.

“Merry Christmas, Rodney.” Evan turned to go.

“Lorne -”

Evan turned back. “Evan.”

Rodney looked puzzled. “What?”

“My name. It’s Evan. Evan Lorne.”

Rodney shook his head. “Oh, right. Well, Evan - I - look, we have tomorrow off and I know you probably have plans with family or friends or a girlfriend or, uh, boyfriend or something but I was wondering if you wanted to maybe come with me to KFC to pick up my Christmas dinner and -”

Now it was Evan’s turn to be puzzled. “What?”

Rodney immediately looked flustered. “No, never mind. I’m sorry.”

Evan laughed and he couldn’t stop smiling. “No, it’s not that I don’t want to go with you, it’s just - KFC? As in Kentucky Fried Chicken?”

Rodney nodded. “Yeah, it’s a Christmas tradition here in Japan. Only one or two percent of the population is actually Christian, so Christmas traditions aren’t really a thing here. But capitalism did what it does best and now people eat KFC on Christmas in Japan. You have to pre-order your meal nowadays, so I’m going there tonight to pick it up. So...do you want to go with me?”

Evan grinned. “I’d love to.”

~

“Do you seriously not have gloves?” Evan asked.

“I didn’t know it was supposed to snow tonight!” Rodney scoffed, rubbing his hands together for warmth.

They were walking in the snow to the KFC that was closest to Rodney’s apartment after taking the train there together. Evan had expected the train ride to be awkward as hell, but they’d chatted amiably the entire time, and with each passing moment, Evan felt better about where the evening was headed.

“Here, give me your hands.”

Rodney stopped in his tracks. “What?”

Evan rolled his eyes. “Calm down, I was just going to warm them up.” Without another moment’s hesitation, he grabbed Rodney’s hands in his, brought them up to his mouth and blew warm air on them.

Evan couldn’t quite tell, but he thought he could see Rodney blushing.

“We have to go get in line. Come on.” Rodney grabbed Evan’s hand and pulled him toward a surprisingly long line outside the front of the KFC. They reached the end of the line, claimed their place, and began to wait in the cold. Evan glanced at his watch and noticed the time.

“Rodney.”

“Hmm?”

“It’s midnight. Merry Christmas.”

He tugged Rodney closer to him, and Rodney didn’t resist as Evan leaned in to kiss him.

When they parted, Rodney whispered, “Here’s to not being alone.”

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas Bru! ::smooches:: 
> 
> And thanks to Nagi for the beta and ceaseless encouragement.


End file.
